Illinois Lottery Operator Sued

The Illinois Lottery suffered a big blow to its credibility after a lawsuit was filed against its operators, the Northstar Lottery Group.

The lawsuit filed in St. Clair County, Illionois alleges that Northstar manipulated the number of winning ticket made available for purchase and then discontinuing scratch-off games before tickets with large payouts are sold. The suit alleges that the practice resulted in huge profits for the operator by depriving players of the chance to win large payouts.

The lawsuit comes at the heels of a Chicago Tribune report which said the operator discontinued scratch off games before all tickets are sold and before all grand prizes are won. The report also accuses Northstar of misrepresenting a player’s chances of winning.

As Northstar’s compensation is tied with the lottery’s income, it caused the operator to seek higher incomes and lower payouts at all costs. The governor’s administration, which has always been critical of Northstar, vowed to look for a new operator and improve controls.

Read more in http://www.sj-r.com/news/20170207/lawsuit-filed-against-company-that-ran-illinois-lottery